World Cafe's guest today is the reggae octet SOJA, which formed in 1997 in Arlington, Va., when its members were still in high school. SOJA released its sixth studio album, Amid The Noise And Haste, in August.

On World Cafe, charismatic bandleader Jacob Hemphill says he writes SOJA's lyrics as an attempt to find a path to unity in the world. He and his band also perform songs on the World Cafe Live stage in Philadelphia, recorded in front of a large crowd.